Does Your Mountain Bike Cause You Pains?

Mountain Biking and indeed cycling in general is one of the most popular sports in the world. The reason for this is because there are so many things a bike can be used for, including competitive racing, getting to and from work each day or just as a bit of leisurely enjoyment. However, if you don’t take necessary precautions, cycling can lead to quite nasty pains in injuries, especially for mountain bike riders who often ride quite aggressively. Here we examine the causes and preventive measures for 3 of the most common cycling-related injuries.

Wrist Problems. A great deal of the force that is transmitted to the bike when you go over bumps travels up through the wrists. What’s more, as your upper body weight is usually pushing down on your wrists, they can often be put under a lot of strain and become inflamed or injured. A good way to avoid this is have decent suspension on the bike to absorb a lot of the pressure, or alternatively find a bike that is made out of impact absorbing material such as the Specialized 2D.

Pain In The Backside. This is one of the most common complaints and is basically a result of repetitive pressure on the gluteus maximus (backside) muscle and surrounding sensitive areas. The long term implications of not addressing such problems can be serious, including infertility and hernia. Purchasing a saddle that is not only good at absorbing shock, but also fits the shape of you backside is probably the most effective way of reducing any problems. You can also purchase protective cycle clothing such as padded shorts which act to dampen the effect of harmful pressure.

Knee Injury. Another issue faced by lots of riders is pain in the knees, which they often experience after a long cycle. Your riding position and bike set up does influence the amount of strain on the knees, but more often than not the quality of the bike contributes quite a lot. Try making sure all your bike components have shock-absorbing qualities, such as specialized road shoes which reduce the amount of force transferred through the knee joint.